


Faithfully

by pplchangeppl



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, with some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 08:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19808188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pplchangeppl/pseuds/pplchangeppl
Summary: When El is away, Mike uses the memories to keep the nightmares at bay.





	Faithfully

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Mileven fanfic! I hope this is the first of many, let me tell you, writing this one certainly opened the inspiration floodgates. It starts out on the angsty side, but there’s also a lot of sweetness mixed in> I really hope you enjoy! I have no idea why I chose Faithfully as the title. I guess it kind of applies. I just listened to it on the road trip I'm on so, thanks Journey?

On El’s first business trip away, Mike starts awake from the sound of his own whimpers. He feels an all too familiar moisture pouring from his eyes and slipping down onto the bed sheets. He fumbles around for El, only to tremble with the realization that she’s gone. He’s vaguely aware his heart thudding in his chest and tries to shake the sleep from his mind and gain his bearings. His thoughts come like an unstoppable flood. Where is she? Is she safe? Where are the kids? Does he need to get the bat? He can’t stand the blood pounding in his ears. He feels cold and alone. He freezes as the business trip floats into his thoughts among the panic. _She’s not gone forever. She’s coming back. She always comes back._ He tries to focus on each individual syllable of his impromptu mantra. He can’t stop seeing her face contorted in pain as she is pulled away from him by the mind flayer. Her face red and puffy as the Uhaul truck pulls away from the Byers house and his whole world changes. “Goodbye Mike” echoes in his ears as El vanishes with the demogorgon. He feels like that scared little kid again, terrified of losing her and helpless to stop it. Mike eyes the telephone on the bedside table. _Don’t call. Suck it up._ _This trip means a lot to her and she’s not coming back because you can’t get it together._ Mike can’t catch his breath. It’s been so long since he had a nightmare, so long since El wasn’t within arms reach. He feels the sudden need to grab onto something, _anything_ to ground him as he feels vertigo set in. Mike suddenly feels a stuffed bear under his hand as he gropes in the darkness. He remembers earlier that evening when his darling daughter set the worn bear on his bed and said “Daddy! I want you to have this. Mommy says I have to take care of you while she’s gone, but it’s past my bedtime.” She spoke so matter-of-factly, you would have thought she’d been tasked with guarding the Crown Jewels. His daughter was truly the light of his life, matched only by El. He had chuckled at the time and accepted the gift warmly. Now, he stares at the bear, feeling as if he’s staring right back into the summer of 1985 when El had left him again. It's not that simple. He scolds himself. El had to go. They all did. To heal. But the pain feels fresh. It had taken so long to be with her again. To spend every day with her. To see her wonderful smile. To hold her whenever he felt like...The thought makes him shake and he clutches the bear tightly into his chest.

He sits there for a few solemn minutes, blocking out the nightmare that closed in on his fragile respite with every memory he had of El laughing. It was an infectious sound. Melodic without even trying. It was no wonder she was a beautiful singer. He hadn’t even known until their first came. She was so quiet for the longest time. He knew he’d never forget the moment he saw El in the nursery, cradling their little bundle of joy, singing into the otherwise empty room. He stood there for a small eternity gaping at how she managed to constantly surprise and amaze him. Mike hums the tune into the top of the bears head and he sways a little, his eyes closed, the tension in his body slowly melting away. He lulls himself back into the daze that comes with being up at three in the morning. He doesn’t remember when sleep takes him again, but he remembers replaying El smiling and laughing through the years, like a slideshow of pure magic.

El tiptoes into her house early in the morning, hoping not to wake anyone. She sets down her bags and heads to check on her loves. She peeks in to see her daughter still sleeping soundly and counts her blessings. Then, she walks into the nursery to find her son up and leaning on the railing of the crib. She sees his eyes light up in a way that reminds her so much of her husband that she aches to see him. It's been a long, grueling business trip and she’s pretty sure she has the most supportive husband on the face of the planet. She picks up her babbling little boy and heads off to get him taken care of so she can hopefully surprise Mike with the fact that she was able to come home a day earlier. Needless to say, taking care of morning feedings and changing is a hell of a lot less hassle when you can move bottles and diapers with your mind.

Finally, she sets towards the door to her bedroom. She can already hear Mike’s soft snores from the hallway. El giggles and nods to open the door as quietly as she can. She smiles when she sees him, peaceful and untroubled. She cocks her head to the side as she considers the bear he’s gripping onto tightly. She recognizes it immediately from her daughter's obsession with it as well as when Mike gave it to her decades ago. She moves to crouch down beside the bed and delicately moves the fallen strands of hair out of his face. His hair is nowhere near as long and bowl-like as it was when they were kids, but he still manages to maintain the messy bit at the front that always flopped into his eyes. She contentedly rearranges his hair and traces the lines of his face as his eyes slowly flutter open. He lives in a state of utter grogginess until he focuses on El’s face. He breaks into a belated smile at the sight of her. He promptly tosses the bear to the other side of the bed and pulls her up with him. El bursts out laughing and he envelopes her in his arms. He rests his cheek on the top of her head and holds her tightly. “What’s this?” she giggles, closing her eyes and beaming as she sinks into his warm chest. He kisses her head and strokes her long hair. She feels him sigh as if a great weight has been lifted off of him.“I’m just…I’m happy you’re home” he whispers.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me a comment, review, or suggestion! I love to hear honest feedback!


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